Charles III
Charles III, American Emperor, full name Charles William Frederick Kazuto Kennosuke Kazuhira Macillium, '''and nicknamed '''Ken or''' Kennosuke', ruled as the American Emperor and Emperor of Ayggiya (as '''Charles II') from 5653 to 5660. By Carthyria, he is the father of Alec (Charles IV) and John Frederick, and by his wife, Jeanne he is the father of Louis and Alexandra. He is the only son of Charles II and his wife Serai of Lern. Appearance and Personality In his youth, he was tall, somewhat broad shouldered and clean shaven. He had a square jaw that fit well with his build. He had jet black hair which would be best described as "casually unkempt in a tasteful way and slightly spiky." In his later life, he had a scarred face, but still retained looks, and wore a dark beard with streaks of grey around his chin. Like all Macilliums, he entertained the bright green eyes long affiliated with his family. In his early life, he was described as having a fiery and passionate spirit, hotheaded and strong-willed, making him quite the antithesis of his father, the quiet and cool Crown Prince Charles (later Charles II). In the latter half of his life, however, his heat was mostly burnt out, at least on the surface, although he still held his undying strength to defend the things he cares most about. Early Life Ken was born in Arashi Castle on the outskirts of the city of Sendai of Miyagi Prefecture in the Empire of Japan, on the twelfth of February in 5618 to Crown Prince Charles and his wife Princess Serai of Lern, daughter of the King of Lern. Northern Japan had been struck by a freak four-day straight blizzard which was silenced at his birth. Like is recent ancestors, he was taught three languages from birth, Japanese, English, and Latin, as well as his mother's native tongue, the sing-songy language of the Lernish. He lived his earliest years at Arashi, his birthplace, alongside his only sibling, Victoria. He had a good education in the Japanese school system until he was ten years old when he and his family moved to Unitas following a sudden illness that befell Empress Alexandra. Although he would make regular visits to Arashi in the summer, his permanent home became the Imperial Palace of Unitas, where he would finish his education with full honors when he was eighteen. For a few months following his graduation he squired and lived briefly with his maternal grandfather, King Ollis X, before returning to America to join the Elite Corps in his grandmother's war against the Ayggiyan Empress Fredericka. War He took part in one of the very first campaigns by the American side during the War of the Two Empresses, in the area most war-torn, Seberia. The fighting was often brutal beyond compare, but Kennosuke sallied forth alongside his close friend, Vilker Costak, and some other friends he would hold close. He often fought alongside some of the local militia that opposed the imperial regime, particularly the Kopaitians, and would do battle in notable engagements along the Southern Front, the Siege of Maandok and the Battle of Tenner to name a couple. At the war's end, he was present at the victorious coronation of his grandmother as the new Empress of Ayggiya, where he was also there to see his sister's marriage to Phradryn Gisser, the future Duke of Gisser, in three years time. During that time, he would fight in two more brief wars in the east. Carthyria In 5640, a matter of months following the end of the war, Ken met the succubus Carthyria upon his return to Unitas as a victorious veteran. Her original attempt was to seduce him, but she failed, as he was unaffected. Instead, they legitimately fell for one another, seeing each other for over a year before she was found pregnant. In 5642, their first son was born, also named Charles. Although he and she were overjoyed with their son, Ken was worried about his family's say. Most of them were wary of his relationship with such a high ranking demon, especially his father the Crown Prince. However, there was more worry about the family being hunted by servants of Hell, trying to get their revenge on the proclaimed traitor Carthyria. Before her death shortly after, Empress Alexandra ordered the destruction of records surrounding most of the young infant and especially Carthyria as to protect them both from the trail being followed by the demonic hunters, and following her, Charles II ascends. Ten months following the birth of the infant Charles, another son is born named John, whose smell only hastens the approach of the demons. To further defend her sons, Carthyria sacrifices herself, which sends Ken into a maelstrom of grief, snuffing out his fiery personality. Unfortunately, this only delayed their approach, and so to make sure she didn't die in vain, he sent away his sons in secret, under the Imperial Guard, with his father's approval. Jeanne Once again, it believed that the plan has failed, which throws Kennosuke into a deep depression, shutting himself out from public life or office and making very few appearances at social gatherings. As much as his family tried, he could not pick himself up and confined himself mostly to his chambers on the second floor of the palace. His depression brought himself far enough to abdicate his claim to the throne and commit suicide. At one of the few gatherings he did appear in, a gala for all the American noble families, Ken met Jeanne Marie Kirshstein, daughter and heir to the King of Corsiva. She was a young blonde-haired beauty, intelligent and cool-headed. They fell in love, and shortly married following the birth of their son, Louis. Jeanne was the one who pulled Ken out of his pit of depression, allowing him to return to the light. From then on, he took more care in his duties as crown prince and became a caring and protective father to both Louis and his newborn daughter Alexandra. Reign In 5653, his father would die at the age of 65. Ken would immediately take the throne as Charles III. His reign is considered an upswing from his father's more unstable rule. Charles managed to end the civil and domestic uprisings that plagued his father's reign in Ayggiya and formed the revolutionary first parliament of the Empire of Ayggiya, freed the Ayggiyan serfs, and ended the autocratic power of the nobility, the feat that earned him the nickname "the Liberator" in Ayggiya. In America, he committed to improving the living conditions of the common folk, and was the first monarch to not have a war in his reign since the reign of Aaron II, nearly a thousand eight hundred years before. His disposition towards peace rightfully gave him the epithet, "the Peaceful." Without a proper heir, Charles III raised Louis as his possible successor. He tried to raise the boy in the place of his failed relationship with his two elder sons. Unfortunately, he died seven years into his rule, only in his forties, the youngest monarch to die since the reign of Frederick I. It was widely believed his reign could have been magnificent, had he not passed on.